rayllum prompts
by CuddlyCookie1360
Summary: oneshots for rayllum month.
1. under the sun with my feet in the sand

***so i wrote this on the beach**

***these will be short for the most part, sorry but I can't write 10,000 word stories everyday**

***also i can't write fluff anymore uhhh i usually write feelings-stuff not happy times**

***theres a lot of drama with the creator of the official prompt list. i honestly don't really know what's going on, so i'm just staying out of it and following my own list. i started writing this before i found out about anything so i kept the prompt as just 'summer'**

***also i stg if the rayllum fandom becomes toxic im-**

***some of the prompts won't be in here and will be their own separate thing because in my list, i included a lot of the stories ive started but haven't finished and i want them to be individual stories**

***also it's my friend's birthday so happy birthday ellen**

***ew this is cringy**

***title from malibu - miley cyrus**

* * *

"Rayla, just for five minutes!"

"I already said no, that's final."

"Raylaaaaaa!"

Callum clasped his hands together, pouted, and put on his best puppy dog eyes. Out of the two brothers, Ezran had always had better puppy dog eyes, but since he wasn't there in Xadia, Callum's would have to do.

Rayla stared at him, keeping a black expression. How could she be unaffected by the puppy dog eyes?! Callum was both astounded and slightly offended. It seemed her decision was final after all.

But then Zym trotted over in all his baby dragon glory and gazed up at Rayla, and he saw the faintest crack of a smile and crease of her brow. She slumped over in defeat. "Fine."

He didn't celebrate yet. He needed more confirmation than 'fine.' "Really? We can?"

"I said fine."

"Fine isn't a yes."

"Then yes, we can go, Callum."

Only after she fully agreed did he celebrate. A wide grin broke out on his face and happiness fluttered through his chest. He reached for Zym and held him up in victory. "Whoo hoo! We convinced her Zym!"

Zym looked completely confused, but he went along with it anyways and puffed his chest out and tried to look smug.

Callum spun him around in a circle and then set Zym down. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Rayla, who made a noise of surprise. "This is gonna be so much fun! Oh, I remember going to the summer lodge all the time and Ezran would play in the sand- do Xadian beaches have sand? Anyways-"

"Slow down, rambling prince," Rayla said, pushing him back and holding him by his shoulders. "Can we actually get there first?"

If Callum could see himself, he'd imagine his eyes sparkling like in an anime. "Yeah. Yeah, let's go!"

He grabbed Rayla's hand and started dragging her away, and it wasn't until she pointed it out that he realized he didn't know where he was going. But Rayla picked up on his slack.

* * *

He wasn't sure what exactly he was expecting, maybe something crazy, like red sand or purple waves or mountains or random magical creatures to be roaming around.

Well, there was none of that.

It wasn't different enough to not feel like a beach, but it was different enough to feel like a Xadian beach. The sand was more orange, but it sank under his feet and fluttered through his fingers just like the sand back home. The ocean didn't seem more vibrant per se, just clearer so the blue color shined through. There were no banthers or dragons or even any people other than their little group, and although it was so similar to beaches in the human kingdoms, it made his eyes light up all the same.

He excitedly picked off his shoes and dropped them, along with his backpack, in the sand, and he peeled off his jacket and tied it around his waist. As much as he wanted to dive into the water, neither him nor Rayla had a spare set of clothes. Rayla also took off her boots. Zym trotted around their pile of stuff as Callum ran off towards the ocean.

The waves weren't really cold, but they weren't warm either. They lapped over his bare feet, and he happily splashed around, kicking up mini waves and watching bubbles foam at the top. Zym wandered over too, and when the ocean hit his legs, it seemed to go through him like a shockwave, and Callum laughed as Zym twirled around, splishing and splashing in the water. The scene was happy, soft even, but something was missing.

Rayla stood off to the side, crossing her arms and looking apprehensively at the ocean. She looked annoyed almost, and Callum felt a little bad. All he had wanted to do was see the beach again, but he remembered Rayla's fear of water and guilt settled in his stomach. He walked over to her and gently grabbed her elbows, uncrossed her arms, and held her wrists in his hands. He smiled softly. "Come on. Nothing can hurt you all the way up here."

"That's why I'm staying up here, dummy," Rayla replied.

He took a step back, letting their arms hang between them. "We won't go far out. Just to where the waves crash in, okay?"

"Callum..."

"It's not," he started, but the words caught in his throat. He was never good at saying things that were difficult to say. He whispered, "It's not any fun without you."

Rayla's eyebrows creased together, and she seemed conflicted. Finally, she peeked behind him at the water, then at their hands, then at his face, and said, "You better not drag me into the water."

His face lit up. She quickly added, "And I'm not going where the waves are."

He nodded his head rapidly. "Deal!"

He dropped their hands and sprung towards the water, Rayla trailing behind him. When the sea first hit her feet, she flinched, but stubbornly stayed. Zym and Callum bounded over to her, squishing sand between their toes and kicking up sprays of water at each other. When Callum looked at Rayla, smirked, and brought his hand down into the sea, she held up a finger, peered into his very soul, and said, "Don't you dare."

He didn't end up splashing her. But later, when she got him, he complained it wasn't fair.

They played around for a while. One time lightning started foaming around Zym's mouth, and Rayla dived at him to hold him above the water before he could strike it and shock them all. Callum had to chase birds away from their shoes and bags, and the two of them had to keep a constant eye on Zym like he was a toddler, which they supposed he was except in dragon form.

At one point, Rayla had worked up the nerve to go a bit deeper into the waves, which wasn't much deeper because she was still near the shore, except the waves went up to her ankles instead of just her feet. Callum was a bit ahead, keeping his watchful gaze on Zym, who was trying to paddle in the sea, when Rayla jumped up, flailed around and squeaked.

"What is it?" Callum asked, jogging over to her as she shook her leg and nearly toppled over ungracefully.

"Something- ugh," she groaned, crossing her arms and pointedly not catching Callum's eye. "Something touched my leg."

He glanced around, bending down to examine the ocean. Some strings of green fluttered around, and picking one up, he held it in front of Rayla. She jerked back, and a teasing smile rose onto his face. "What, are you scared of a little seaweed?"

She pouted and turned away. A laugh came from behind her. "Are you really this epic, daring, fearless assassin, but you can't handle seaweed?"

She mumbled something under her breath and threw up her arms. She angrily marched back up to the sand where their bags and shoes were and she plopped down, sitting on her heels. Callum continued laughing at her, and seeing her annoyed expression directed right at him, he shook his head with a grin and returned to watching Zym's poor attempts at swimming.

A bit after, while Rayla decided to use her time to do an inventory check, she heard a shriek from Callum, followed by an irritated, "_Zymmm_!" Looking up, she saw Callum trying to shake out his shirt and Zym flapping his wings in the water. He squeezed water from the garment, but he was still soaked. She silently congratulated Zym in her head.

But then Callum trotted over to her with Zym on his heels and held his arms out and whined, "Raylaaaaa! Zym splashed me!" like a child complaining to their mother.

She pushed him back with her sandy foot. "Get away from me, you're all wet."

Callum pouted and made grabby motions with his hands. "Raylaaaaaa!"

"No."

"Rayyyyllllaaaaaaaaa!"

"No!"

A grin broke out on his face, and he lunged for her. She rolled away, popped back up onto her feet, and dashed away as he ran for her again. He chased her across the beach, kicking up sand, laughing the whole way. They danced around, Callum keeping his hands out in a hug motion, her trying to kick up water and splash him. He wasn't expecting to be able to catch her; she could easily outrun him if she wanted to. But he still ran after her and she halfheartedly zoomed away, Zym following behind them.

Eventually, she twisted her body to see how close he was, and he slammed into her, not expecting her to stop. They fell back, Rayla hitting the damp sand and yelling in surprise, Callum doing his best to keep himself from face-planting using his arms. They ended up in a weird position, Rayla on her back in the sand, Callum overtop of her, arms pressed into the ground by her shoulders. Once her mind caught up with their fall, she stayed frozen in place, not wanting to move an inch in case she hit Callum.

He looked down at her, seemingly confused, and she could feel his breath on her face and she was hyperaware of his arms by her shoulders, pinning her so she couldn't get away, and had his eyes always been that green and had she ever noticed how pink his lips were-

A giggle bubbled from Callum's throat, and by the time she had gotten over her mini panic, he was full on laughing at their situation, and she found herself laughing along too. Zym had caught up and he trotted over to them, smiling along even though he didn't know what they were laughing at. Finding himself bored, the baby dragon moved on to examine a hole in the sand, leaving Callum and Rayla to continue giggling.

She smirked at Callum, though butterflies fluttered in her stomach. "So, I'm epic, fearless, and didn't I tell you I was daring?"

His giggling trailed off, and he smiled softly down at her as he let one of his hands find their way to her hair. He brushed a piece of it behind her ear. "I take notes."

She hummed, and she found herself grabbing his hand and lacing her fingers through his, wondering how the atmosphere changed so quickly and how she didn't mind. She whispered, "Well, I'm glad I could provide such great word choices."

"You're very creative," Callum murmured, and she found her eyes wandering around his face, searching for what, she didn't know, and she could feel his breath on her nose and his eyes were half-lidded and she started to lean up and she grabbed his scarf.

Then a wave crashed over their heads, and panic built in her throat when she couldn't breathe and she hated water. By the time she could inhale air again, her mood had turned sour. She sputtered and coughed on salt water and Callum sat up and laughed, shaking his head and letting drops of water drip out of his hair. She pushed herself up and stood, shaking her arms, squeezing her hair, and stomping back up the piles of sand, leaving Callum to trail after her.

"Come on, that was funny!"

"I blame you for this! If you're cold later, don't come crying to me!"

After that, Rayla had grown bitter enough and was forcing them to move on from the beach, and the two put on their shoes as Callum continued chuckling about their predicament and she grumbled and cursed him under her breath. Zym glanced between the two, and their trio walked away, Callum and Rayla halfheartedly arguing the whole time.

And later, when they had made a fire and Callum was shivering, Rayla still let him sling his arms around her shoulders and huddle close to her.

* * *

***okay but concept: a beach episode, except it's innocent rayllum fluff**


	2. a sword in my hand

*in case you didn't read my last story i'll say it again: im following my own list of prompts because there's a lot of drama and i don't know who's side im on so im staying out of it

*also this is short cuz im on vacation and can't be bothered

*im tiredddd

*the site is glitching and won't let me make my text bold but i honestly couldn't care less

*prompt - rayla teaching callum how to fight

* * *

It was a typical day.

Well, about as typical as a day could get when they were sneaking through Xadia on a mission to return the Dragon Prince with a dorky, highly trained assassin and an ignorant prince with a knack for magic. But that's putting it too literally.

They had been walking through a forest for a while, Rayla scouting ahead and trying to keep them, you know, alive, Callum doodling in his sketchbook and not paying attention, therefore Rayla had to keep him alive, and Zym trotting along in his own universe. Everything was going smoothly until they reached a clearing in the forest.

Now, Rayla had been wanting to teach Callum to fight for a while, but there was never a good time. They had been running from archdragons, jumping from town to town, elf Callum made an appearance and that was a whole 'nother can of worms she didn't want to open. They hadn't had a lot of time to sit down, and now that they did, Rayla was going to have him stand right back up and learn to fight.

"Okay!" She announced, clapping her hands together and putting a fake prep in her step. "Get up."

Callum raised an eyebrow at her from his position on the grass, sketchbook in his lap, charcoal in his hand. He slowly closed it and locked the clasp, putting it off to the side while keeping his eyes trained on her. "Umm... why?"

"Because," she explained, grabbing his arm and dragging him to his feet. "I'm finally going to teach you how to fight."

Callum blinked at her. Once. Twice. "What."

"Trust me, I'm a great teacher!" she said, waving him off and twirling away on her heel.

"That's not- I don't... I mean, I'm sure you are but- wha-" Callum stuttered, blinking dazedly and stunned into silence. He opened his mouth a couple times to say something else but no words came.

She turned back towards him. "You'll be fine. I'll be here to make sure you don't slice open yourself, me, or worse, Zym."

"We just," he said, twisting and pointing with his thumb behind him, "hiked through this forest for like, four hours."

"Oh, it was a hike?" Rayla asked innocently, titling her head. It had seemed like a normal stroll to her. "Well, whatever. No time like the present, right? I want to teach you to fight!"

Callum waved his hands. "Rayla, I don't wanna learn to fight, I want to sleep," he groaned, blinking at her again with something that might have been a glare if he had the energy for it.

"Too bad," she said. She unclipped her blades from her belt and flipped them open to reveal her swords, but not without a little showing off and twirling them through her fingers. She held them out to Callum with the blade pointed safely away from both of them. "Take it."

Callum blinked again- what was up with him blinking?- and took the sword from her hand. He held it weakly in his grip, trying not to move his wrist in case the sword swung into one of their faces.

"I was taught to first get acquainted with my blades," Rayla explained. She held her other blade in her hand and fiddled with it. Callum took a couple steps back so he couldn't accidentally whack her and began waving it around. She deadpanned. "Can you, ya know, try?"

"I'm tired," Callum complained, but he gripped the sword a bit tighter and tried swinging it more gracefully.

Rayla watched him, looking for mistakes, but there weren't many for him to make since they weren't doing anything yet. "Okay, now that you've got that, since the only blades we have around are mine, we'll probably be using them a lot. So, you should learn how to flip them into hooks." She adjusted her hand to slide over to where the switch was engraved. With a flick of her wrist, she switched the blade from sword to hook. "Now, this can be a bit difficult if you're trying to keep hold on the blade because you've got your hand in an awkward position-"

"Like this?" Callum asked, flipping his wrist up and down, letting the blade click to hook form. He glanced down at it. "It's just the switch, right?" He twisted his wrist and his thumb found the switch again. Flicking his wrist, he changed it back to a sword.

Now it was Rayla's turn to blink at him.

For whatever reason, she suddenly couldn't process information. Him being able to do that at all was astounding, but she thought back to her learning when she was younger and how complicated it had been. "Wha... that took me like, a week to learn to do, how did you..."

"It's literally just a switch," Callum said, switching it back and forth. "I don't see what's so hard."

She gaped at him, dumbfounded. Learning that had been torture for her and incredibly frustrating, and he did it so casually! After she had been stunned for a couple seconds, she shook her head and spun her blade in her hand. "It's much harder to use in practice."

Callum continued messing with the blade, focusing completely on the task, and she bent her knees and lunged forward while the prince remained distracted. It was so funny how facile it would be to knock her blade out his hand and sweep his legs out from under him, she almost felt it was dishonorable, but she would not let him show her up. Embarrassing him would be too easy.

Then in a split second, she saw him peek at her out of the corner of his eye, and he brought the blade up with a click, and she couldn't rush forward anymore. Confusion filled her for a second and then the realization hit. He just... he just caught her blade with the hook! Her blade! She was supposed to be a highly trained assassin and he had next to no experience and he... stopped her?

She backed up and freed her blade. "How did... what?"

"I saw you coming."

"But... wha-"

Callum smiled purely and handed the blade back to her. "I don't know how to close it."

Rayla blinked. Once. Twice.

Callum pressed the sword into her hand and she let it fall limply by her side, too shocked to think about it. He wandered back over to his sketchbook and sat down, picked it back up, and started doodling again.

It was her turn to be stunned into silence.

* * *

*ugh what is the ending

*wowie this isn't really rayllum but we don't talk about that

*thanks diana for being my walking thesaurus

*also idk when my style changed to me being sarcastic but here we are?

*callum has good reflexes and learns quick don't me, let me make him be a badass

*plus i mean technically he does know how to fight and when he's tired and rayla's lowkey making fun of him he's gonna show her up

*im realizing how i either make callum a badass and overpowered or torture him in my stories there is no in between


	3. you're a firework

*happy independence day fellow americans let's go shoot some things and scream about freedom,,, i don't know

*i think i forgot how to write in present tense?

*also my writing style changed like 3 paragraphs in uhhh ok me

*im still on vacation so this is very short

*and i skipped day 3 cuz i was tired and decided to like,,, try to actually enjoy my vacation without worrying about writing something. maybe i'll go back to it when I have time

*prompt - fireworks

*title from firework - katy perry

* * *

They're in a human town by the Border when they hear them go off.

Elves don't have fireworks. Elves don't even have celebrations, at least, not where she's from. The most they've ever had is a quiet wishing of happy birthday and maybe a treat, if that. They don't do big, loud, extravagant parties. That's more of a human concept.

So Rayla isn't sure what the lights flashing in the sky and deafening booms in the distance are when they go off. She certainly isn't expecting them, though she has heard mentions of something called 'fireworks' throughout town chatter she's picked up on. There has been repeated mentions of a festival in Katolis; both her and Callum feel terrible for missing it but there isn't much they can do.

Beside her, Callum seems a bit spooked but otherwise fine. He hasn't been expecting them either, but once he sees the bright colors and shapes, he relaxes with a smile. He gazes up at the sky wistfully and whispers, just loud enough for her ears to hear, "Fireworks."

"Fireworks?" she repeats with a tilt of her head.

He nods. "There's a festival in Katolis."

She's not entirely sure what he means; yes, there is indeed a festival in the nearby capital, but she's not sure how it connects to the explosions. They seems random, out of place, and she doesn't quite understand them. But the floating balls of light in the sky are mesmerizing to look at all the same.

They're quiet for a moment, watching the pinks and purples and yellows explode in the sky. They're nice, she thinks, without a better word to describe them. The moment is peaceful and she can enjoy it with Callum without saying a word. They can be like that now, with no missions or advisors to worry about, no war looming over their heads, nowhere to travel and no adventure to be had. Even if it's just for a moment, she'll take the quiet seconds with him by her side.

Then Callum turns to her and says, "Pretty, aren't they?"

She peers at him, then back at the sky and the orange shapes blooming and replies, "Yeah, they are."

Callum keeps his gaze on her and she turns back to him, contentment in her eyes. He reaches forward, delicately, like he's always been with her, and he tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear and murmurs, "For all the fireworks in the sky, I think _you're_ the prettiest thing here."

And her heart swells, a red firework goes off, she can see it in the corner of her vision, and if she has no reply it goes unnoticed. She wouldn't be able to reply anyways. Not when he places his lips on hers.

There are no fireworks in her mind, no celebration in her her head. That's happening around her. There's no butterflies or heat or anything special.

But she thinks, if there is a firework, it's Callum. Bright and happy as he smiles into their kiss, and she holds him close to her heart and lets him kiss her more. It's special, she thinks. He's special.

And if he's the firework that goes off in her heart, she decides she's okay with that.

* * *

*callum tucking rayla's hair behind her ear is my favorite trope

*also im still tired but at least i can write right

*wow me writing something less than 1000 words? who am i


	4. your boldness stands alone

*so i skipped this one yesterday cuz i had no ideas but i came up with one today so here we are

*welcome back to i torture callum on today's episode-

*is this really rayllum? no but we don't talk about that

*scene inspiration from the words we weave by atticuskaine (great story btw! i love callum being a badass)

*prompt - returning zym

*title from little lion man - mumford and sons

* * *

He's not sure what he was expecting.

His first feelings about their journey had been positive, return the egg, stop a war. It never sounded easy, but it did sound fun, and in all honesty, he was excited for the chance to do something. He had been looking for an excuse to leave the confinement of the castle and go on an adventure, and the sudden quest sure seemed like a sign.

He knew it wouldn't be easy; they were going to have to survive out in the wild with an elven assassin no less, and while he was less concerned about the 'elf' and more concerned about the 'assassin,' he still had his apprehensions. But Rayla proved herself over and over again, and once she gave her explanation, he knew that everything would be fine.

Her and Ezran teamed up and banded against him, and while he really didn't mind because he knew they meant no harm and it was just teasing, it still left a numb feeling in his chest and sadness in his heart at the thought of being nothing again. But he brushed it off with a smile because it wasn't the first time he had been teased and at least with them it was harmless.

He didn't realize he would end up smashing the primal stone, the one item that kept him useful to the group, the one thing he had ever been good at, but he had said goodbye before and wasn't new to the concept. It hurt less than he thought it would, and while there was a certain heaviness in his heart that wasn't there before, seeing the smile on the baby dragon's face reminded him of how much it was worth it.

After that, he knew he had to chase magic, had to get the rush of electricity in his veins back, and while he didn't expect it to take him out in a storm, he wasn't opposed to the idea. But ultimately his logical mind won out, and he left with a dragon with lightning foaming in his mouth and a human that had never felt more useless.

How that led him to dark magic, he wasn't sure, but all he could think about was how Rayla might never return and how he would never see her silver hair or violet eyes or hear her laugh or make a joke or even make fun of him, and then he found himself staring at her likeness on the page and he saw an old picture of Claudia, and he picked up the book and scrambled through the forest. What his intention was, he didn't know, saving the dragon, saving Rayla, but the grub felt squishy in his hands and the magic clogged his throat and he couldn't breathe.

But then he could after his dream, where he hugged his mother and heard Rayla call for him desperately, and when he opened his eyes he knew he has found it. And the air rushed through his lungs and into a swirl of magic, and happiness fluttered through his heart.

Ezran left, which was sad, and he couldn't stop thinking about it the whole walk to the Border, but Rayla put her hand on his shoulder and told him not to worry, and he believed her because of course he would, she was his best friend. And then they crossed the path with Zym's mighty shadow and his quick thinking, and he threw his arms around Rayla and everything felt right.

Sol Regem happened. Those were memories he hoped to forget. He and Rayla shoved themselves into the nearest cave and watched helplessly as Zym bounded over to the archdragon and tittered, and then Rayla went after him and picked him up in her arms, and Callum walked out and then things went downhill.

But they made it into Xadia despite all that, and the first town they found was full of Sunfire elves and heat, and he didn't like the burn on his skin, it reminded him of old memories he was trying to repress, thank you very much. But he got to dress up like an elf and they found an inn and that's all that matters.

That became their routine, bounce from town to town, stay in inns, have elf Callum make an appearance, and it was peaceful for a while. Well, about as peaceful as it could be, there was still the stress of looming war over their heads, but learning useless facts about Rayla and watching Zym learn to fly almost made him forget about all that.

Almost.

He knew there were both good and bad people on both sides, humans could be just as bad as elves, but he decided elves were worse because when they were evil, they were _evil_. They came for Rayla and Zym and he watched from behind a tree with Zym in his arms as Rayla took on enemies three sizes bigger than her, and when they knocked her down he channeled energy he didn't know he had and struck lightning at their feet and dragged her away. And later, when they sat in a cave with a campfire he made, he embraced her just because it was relieving to know she was alive.

Things returned to semi normal after that. They ran into more rebels the deeper they went into Xadia, but as Rayla remembered more Draconic words, he gained more spells, and he learned even more when they picked up a book in a town. They were content. He was content.

Then the blizzard came.

His hood had gotten blown off by the vicious wind, and elves in the town had chased after both him and Rayla. She held them off for a while while Callum looked worriedly at the cliff edge, and Rayla was pushed back just far enough by one of them to take steps backwards, but eventually she ran out of ground and toppled over the edge of the mountain.

He was kicked over too, too stunned to think about anything after watching her get thrown off the edge of a mountain, and as he and Zym fell down, he had the sense to do a roll while Zym grabbed his jacket with his claws and flew up. Hitting the ground still hurt, his legs burned and his arm felt like it was on fire, but he was alive. He was okay.

He couldn't say the same for Rayla. Zym has slowed his fall by a lot, but she had fallen into the solid rock, and there was no way she could walk or move, much less even breathe.

Then the wolves came, and apparently they looked like a meal and Callum wasn't intimidating enough to stop them, so he told Zym to fly and Rayla to crawl away as the rabid animals charged at him.

The first one bit into his jacket, tearing open nothing but the material of the cover and his shirt. The second bit his leg, and while his pants did little to stop the teeth, it didn't take a chomp out of his leg.

But then the wolves realized the problem, and Xadian wolves were much smarter and stronger, and they shredded his jacket, leaving his arms out and vulnerable. They tore through his skin like it was a meal, which he supposed he was to them, and god, it _burned_, more than the lava of the Border and it hurt more than losing his magic, and he couldn't take it anymore, and lightning foamed in his fingertips without him saying a word or drawing a rune and he pushed it out in hopes of getting them away, push them _away_.

He didn't care what happened to them. All that he was focused on was the burn in his arms and legs and body against the chill of the wind, and Rayla laying on the ground in front of him, and no matter what, he had to keep her alive. Others before himself.

He stumbled over and looped her arm around his shoulder, letting red stain the snow but he didn't care, and he took a step and his foot sank deep into the mush and dots swam in his vision, but keeping her alive was more important, so he pressed on. Another step, more burning through his legs, his broken, torn apart legs, and he felt sick. Another step, and his knees wobbled and his vision blinked out for a second, but Rayla slumped over in his arms and he pressed forward.

But he hit a rock or sank too deep in the snow, he wasn't sure, and he tumbled forwards, his knees giving out, and Rayla slipped out of his grip and into the snow beside him. He tried to push back up but his arms were on fire and he couldn't move, and god, he wanted nothing more than to sleep and never move again.

But he saw Rayla, and thought of how hard he tried to keep them alive, how much he had sacrificed for their mission, how much he would never get to see or do, and tears rushed to his eyes because he couldn't save her, no matter how hard he tried, and he felt so powerless, so _human_.

So he picked up her arm and slung it around his shoulders and planted his feet in the snow and stood, shakily, but he stood, and he took a step. They fell over and sank into the snow, but with a grunt and determination, he grabbed her arm and started again. His knees gave out and they dropped, but he put his foot on the ground and pushed up again, and took a step, but he swayed and stumbled back into the ground, this time not being able to stand again.

He didn't notice Zym licking his face or the rumble in the sky, but he did notice his vision fading to black and the weakness in his limbs, and he tried to say he was sorry but he didn't think that's what he said, and he tumbled into sleep.

And woke up again in a cot in a room he didn't recognize.

Someone was in there, a girl with black hair tied in high pigtails and no markings or horns but four fingers, and she pushed him down onto the bed and scolded him for sitting up, saying he could've torn his stitching. He blinked, confused, but the itch of bandages woven around his arms told him she was being truthful.

Rayla rushed to his mind next, and he asked for her, and the girl left to go retrieve her supposedly, and he sat in the bed and stared at the bandages wrapped around his hands and legs and wondered how it all happened.

She opened the door, and any pain he was in washed away and he threw his arms around her and she did the same, holding on tight and wishing he could never let go because god, he could never lose her, and how he ever could've taken her silver hair and moonberry scent or stupid jokes for granted was beyond him.

The elves must've worked some sort of magic or it had been a long time because he could stand, albeit unsteadily, but with Rayla by his side, he had all the support he needed. He would have to wear bandages for the rest of his life, and while they had managed to replace the parts of his arms and legs that had been torn, there would always be pink marks all over.

But he didn't mind. They were alive, and that was all that mattered.

The girl who had taken care of him said something about the Dragon Queen wanting to meet with them, and they stumbled through the halls, Callum holding onto Rayla's shoulders and her wrapping her arm around his waist. When they reached the entrance to the open field where the Dragon Queen resided, Rayla turned to him and said, "This is it."

He gazed at her, and her purple marks and small nose and big eyes and replied, "Yeah, it is."

She stared at him for a moment, and they turned to the door at the same time and reached for it together. They turned the knob with her hand over his, and before they pulled open the door she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek for good luck that made his face burn in a good way.

But it died down quickly because of what was at hand.

The Dragon Queen was a mix of blues and gold and whites, like a royal sky dragon, like he supposed she was. Zym chittered at her feet, an ant in comparison. She had horns by her head that looked like a crown and she towered over them, looking down at them with golden eyes. Rayla got on one knee and bowed, and Callum tried to do the same but ended up not being able to bend his knees with bandages covering them, so he settled for the human version of the bow, hoping she still got the message.

Rayla spoke first. "Thank you, your majesty, for your hospitality and taking care of us."

Her voice echoed in his head, like a rumble of thunder. "It was the least I could do, considering you returned my son." She peered down at the baby dragon by her feet. "Which we need to discuss."

Rayla's breath hitched in her throat and Callum took a deep breath as well and braced himself for what she would say.

"While I appreciate the thought and what you went through to return my son to me," she said, "this changes nothing. Humans still used dark magic to slay my mate, the king, stole my only son, and the war still wages. Returning the dragon prince does not change that."

Callum's heart sank, he thought she would say that, even though he wasn't quite prepared to actually hear it. They had done all this for nothing. He had chosen to leave his home for nothing. She had chosen to betray her people for nothing. They had trekked across Katolis and Xadia for nothing. They had nearly _died_ for nothing.

And suddenly, a burning desire filled Callum, and one thought popped into his head. He couldn't let it be for nothing. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

And so, he took a step forwards. "Your highness," he said, and she blinked, awaiting him to continue. He looked down at the grass. "I grew up along the Border, back when there were many disputes over territory."

He still remembered the heat surrounding him and the sounds of explosions going off all the time and the smell of antiseptic in the infirmary, and his mother would wrap her arm around his shoulders and tell him everything would be okay.

He looked up at the Queen, not afraid to meet her eyes. "I saw the burns soldiers came back with because of your elven troops when I was two years old."

He stepped forwards again. "I was six when my step-dad walked into the room and told me that when I grow up there will be changes I'm not ready for, and my mother never returned from her mission because your mate, the Dragon King, killed her, along with two of our queens."

His voice grew louder. "My step-dad, the one who took me to the summer lodge and splashed in the ocean with me, the one who let me redraw the family portrait so I would have an image of my mother, the one who gave me a letter with wisdom I choose to live by, was struck down by elven assassins that _you_ sent to my home."

He peered down at Zym, the adorable baby dragon running around his mother's feet, and he said, "But I still think returning Zym has been the best decision I've made. It was the right decision."

He turned back to Rayla, who was staring at him with something like awe in her eyes, and he saw her purple marks and violet eyes and pointed horns and perfect face and he smiled, because god, she made him so happy, and he said, "And I made friends with an elf, one of the members of the same race that killed my family, and Rayla..." he trailed off, suddenly feeling a little shy, but he saw the sparkle in her eyes and he finished, "Rayla has taught me how to be kind and thoughtful and," he smiled, "how to love."

He turned back to the Dragon Queen and met her eyes again. "When we fight, we get bloodshed and death. But when we work together, we get friendship and companionship and happiness. So please, make the right decision. Choose peace over war. Choose happiness over despair. Choose to make our story a narrative of love, not a narrative of power."

It fell silent after that. He stared down the Queen, refusing to break his gaze, because if there was one thing he had learned on their journey it was how to stand tall, and he felt confident in his words, despite her lack of reply.

But then she did reply. "There will always be tensions between humans and elves. There will be many disputes and we may reach the brink of war again."

She peered down at her son, and said, "But, being able to rise above the hatred and violence will prove to be the greatest achievement of all, and one I would like to stick around and see."

Relief fluttered through Callum, and the hugest grin broke out on his face, and he said, "We'll do whatever it takes."

She looked at him again. "I'm sure you will. You are dismissed."

He turned back to Rayla, who had risen and looked at him with a smile lighting up her features, and he strided over to her and wrapped her up in a hug that she gladly returned, and god, they had a chance for peace, and he thought that sounded great to him.

And as they walked out the door, the Dragon Queen called, "Prince Callum?"

He twisted around. The Queen smiled down at him. "Thank you for restoring my faith in humanity."

He beamed, and with a wave and twinkle in his eye, he replied with words he wasn't sure how he knew but felt right on his tongue. Her eyes widened a smidge, but Rayla pulled him along and they left the hall.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, maybe something less climatic, like them simply bringing Zym into her lair and everything automatically being alright, but he learned that's not how it works. They'll have to put in a lot of work and effort to gain peace.

But even if they have to claw their way from a deep, deep hole, he thinks they can do it.

No, he _knows_ they can do it.

And with Rayla by his side and love in his heart, he thinks they can do anything.

* * *

*oh i guess it is rayllum

*um this was not necessarily what i thought i was gonna end up writing but i mean this actually managed to combine both my old idea i scrapped cuz i didn't think i could write it and my new idea so uh that's cool


	5. is this how it ends

"She's right behind me!" he yells, pointing back at the doorway he just sprinted through and where an elven assassin with two pointy blades and ears is standing.

She flicks her blades into hooks and rushes forwards, charging at the guards in a fighting style he's never seen before, and he knows he should be running, he should be escaping while he has the chance, but her flip over the guards and knocking them onto their backs is mesmerizing to watch, even if said guards are supposed to be protecting him and she's made it past them.

"Hey," he can't help but call out, "you swept the leg!"

She turns around with a, "What?" and he's reminded of what she's there to do.

He stutters out, "Uh, nothing," then decides it's a good time to start running again. He rushes up the steps of a tower, the assassin hot on his heels, and he bursts through the door screaming for, "Lord Viren! Claudia! Anyone!"

But she knocks into his back, sending him flying forwards, hitting his head on a desk. He sits up and the assassin stalks forwards, the light from sunset streaming in behind her, and she says, "You don't have to die. There are only two targets tonight."

"Wait, two?" he questions. "What do you mean?"

"I'm here for the king," she replies. "And I'm also here for his son, Prince Ezran."

Callum's stomach drops and he can feel his heart speed up, panic rises in his chest because no, not his innocent little brother, and he finds himself arguing, "You can't. That's not fair. Why would you hurt someone who's done nothing wrong?"

"Humans cut down the King of the Dragons and destroyed his only egg," she yells, bringing her sword up to point at his neck, "the Dragon Prince. Justice will not be denied."

And something in her tone makes him think, maybe the way she jumped to defend her values, maybe the underlying anger in her voice, that maybe she won't do it at all. And even if she does, she won't do it to Ezran. Not the real Ezran.

Callum remembers how Ezran led him to raccoons supposedly with treasure and how he cried and cried when Callum accidentally stepped on a beetle and he made Callum jokingly do the Jerkface Dance when he only shared half of a jelly tart and made him do it seriously when he was being a jerk. There's so many happy memories, and he wants Ezran to have them all.

Ezran has to live, he has to; he has a kingdom to rule and a life to live, and there's no way he'll let the assassin steal that from him. Ezran is smart and brave and strong and innocent, and Callum is clumsy and shy, dumb and worth less. Ezran is the crown prince, Callum is the step-prince, the out-of-place-prince, the throw-away-prince, and if she thinks she can lay a hand on Ezran, she'll have to get through him.

Even if his heart speeds up and his survival instincts scream at him to stop.

"I see," he murmurs, because he does, he gets it, it's a cycle of revenge that's pointless and could be easily avoided, but he gets it, and he looks up at her with steel in his gaze and doesn't let his voice shake as he announces, "well then, you found me. I am Prince Ezran."

He's still scared as she moves forward, and he's still scared as she points her blades to his throat, but he thinks, if it'll save Ezran, it's worth it, no matter the price or the panic in his chest.

"It's life is fading quickly," Lujanne says, and Callum's heart sinks because no, no! They couldn't have done all this for nothing, they had to save it, they had to. "The only chance of saving it now would be to hatch it."

He can feel the group's spirts lift, even just a little, because there's a chance, they have a chance, but Lujanne bows her head and continues, "But that won't be possible. Sky dragons can only be born in the eye of a storm. The weather is clear for miles."

They look up at the sky, seeing stars in every direction, and Callum thinks no, no, there has to be something, some solution, some magic fix. Ezran voices it for him, "No... that can't be. There has to be a way to save it!"

Lujanne peers down at him and solemnly whispers, "I'm sorry."

The light fades from the egg, now a black void instead of a bright colors or even a dim light, and Callum feels his hands shake because no, no, the egg can't die, they've come so far to save it and done so much, sacrificed so much, and it can't be for this. It can't be.

"I dropped it," Rayla says. "This is all my fault."

And it is, technically, but Callum feels guilt settle in his stomach and he turns and says, "No, I should have trusted you. Things only went wrong because we kept fighting."

A tear rolls down Rayla's cheek and Callum wants to wipe it away, he doesn't want her to be sad, and she utters, "I let you both down. I let the world down."

"You tried, Rayla," Ezran assures, but he can't assure her past the cold reality of their situation, there's no way to make it all okay, and Ezran chokes back a sob and Callum's heart sinks because no, no, this can't be it, and Ezran continues, "You're so good and brave."

He walks forwards and wraps his stubby arms around her waist, and Callum thinks, no, no, there has to be a solution, there has to be! They couldn't have trekked all the way from Katolis, fought angry humans and water monsters and leeches and illusions, had Ezran nearly drown, have Rayla be prepared to lose her hand, and it couldn't be for nothing. It couldn't be for this.

And Callum thinks about all that they went through and how much Ezran and Rayla have given and how much he's taken away by arguing with her and not believing Ezran, and how every single time he's been selfish it ended badly; they tried to go to the Banther Lodge for his cube and he'd nearly gotten Rayla killed, they went on a boat because he told them it was easier and they nearly got eaten, he tried to be smart and come up with a plan and the leech had nearly destroyed them, and Callum wants to help, no, needs to help because he's done nothing but take away but they need a storm...

A storm.

"Wait a minute," he says at the realization. "It can only hatch... in a storm."

He peels off his backpack and looks at the egg void of life, and he thinks maybe, maybe, he can help. He holds the orb in his hand, the one that gave him power, the one that made him useful, the one that made him finally feel that he was worth something, and as it crackled with electricity he wondered, "What if I..."

He didn't want to lose his magic. He didn't want to smash the stone. Being a mage had felt so right, more right than anything else in his life and it made him feel safe and strong and for the first time in his life he felt he had a purpose, he was worth something, he wasn't disposable, and his heart clenched as he held the stone, not wanting to throw it away.

But he thinks back to when he was selfish and how his arguing with Rayla led to an avalanche and his choice to go back into the tower had nearly ended with his voice being stolen and Rayla and Ezran being discovered and how the egg nearly dying was his fault, if indirectly, and he thinks that the egg is worth it, they couldn't have done all this for nothing, and he declares, "I know what I have to do."

He hates it, he wants to feel the hum of power in his hand and electricity in his veins or clearness in his lungs when he casts a spell, and he doesn't want to let go of the one thread he's ever had, his one chance to be useful, but he thinks of how many problems his selfishness has caused, and he brings the stone up and throws it onto the ground with as much force as he can make.

And it's creates a storm that rips through his clothes and losing the orb puts a heaviness in his chest that wasn't there before, and Rayla goes after the egg when it nearly tumbled over the cliff side, and it's quiet for a bit once the storm dies down, and Callum worries he failed again and that it'll be for nothing again.

But then a crack goes through the center and a dragon pokes his head out, and Bait licks his eyes open and they're a brilliant blue, and the baby dragon is so full of energy and rips Rayla's binding off and licks Ezran's cheek and tells them his name, and Callum thinks, if losing his magic saves the dragon, then it's worth it, no matter the ache in his heart or longing in his soul and feeling that something is missing.

It's raining one night.

It's only a few hours after they returned Zym but god, it feels like ages, and she misses the energetic dragon a lot. It's strange without his presence around, no baby dragon bounding around her feet, no chittering sounds or flapping of wings. She misses it, she thinks, but she won't miss it for long.

Callum and her had talked about the Dragon Guard before. She'd gone through a lot to realize she isn't her parents and that their choices don't have to impact hers. Once the option was open, she had grown to love the idea of joining the guard.

But that would mean goodbye. She didn't like to think about that part.

Then the reality hit after they left the Dragon Queen's lair. She's been impressed with Callum's speech and confidence to stand up to the queen and the waves of relief she had felt when the queen agreed to try for a shot at peace were overpowering but dying out. They hadn't really discussed what would happen after they returned Zym and their quest was over; they figured they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

Well, they were at it.

And as the rain cascades down in icy drops and her hair sticks to her face and she hears the drip on the ground, she thinks she doesn't want to say goodbye. She really doesn't. The two of them had grown from enemies to friends to maybe something more and she didn't want to let it go. She really didn't.

But she understands that they have their own paths to chase. He has to return to Katolis and be by Ezran's side, and she has to find her own way in Xadia. Their paths don't align. Maybe they never did.

The dragon waits behind him, ready to fly him back to Katolis when he gives the word. She looks at him between strands of her hair in her eyes and she doesn't want him to leave, she really doesn't, but she swallows the wish in her throat and instead says, "I guess this is goodbye."

Callum nods, eyes as electric as ever, and replies, "Yeah, it is."

She's going to miss him, she realizes. She's going to miss his piercing gaze and dumb puns and nicknames and her having to drag him out of the way of trees while he was distracted drawing or huddling close by the fire and sharing little facts about themselves. There's so much she hasn't told him, so much he'll never know, and there's things he hasn't told her either, things she'll never know, and she wishes that he could stay so she could tell him.

But he looks at her and smiles quietly as the rain pounds and air rushes by, and without a word because he has none and she has none, he turns and takes a step away.

And she misses his green eyes and tousled hair and dopey smile already, and god, there's so much she wishes she could just say but things are difficult and words are difficult and she thinks that can't be the last she sees of him. She won't ever get to laugh at one of his jokes or make fun of his stupidity or put her hand on his shoulder in the dreary cave and have him say everything's okay and her agree. She'll miss it. She'll miss him.

Almost on its own accord, her voice says, "Callum."

He doesn't turn back, maybe because it's difficult, because things are difficult now, but he waits for her to say more. She can't find the words; they die in her throat and she moves her mouth a couple times with nothing more than an, "I-" repeated because that's all she has.

But Callum turns and strides over, close, very close, close enough to take a step close and press himself to her and he looks her dead in the eyes with his electric gaze and he murmurs, "Say it."

And the words build in her throat, so simple, so difficult to say, and he almost puts his forehead to her forehead like they used to do but he's not that close, just one more step and he would be, and she thinks three words, three simple words, three simple words so difficult to say.

She says them.

Just three words, three words to change everything, three words that catch in her throat, three words that make it past her lips and she stares, waiting for a reply. Callum steps back and she wants to reach out, don't leave, she thinks, and he steels her with his electric gaze as lightning flashes and the rain pounds and her hair sticks to eye face and she waits, patiently, for words that never come, a reply never spoken.

He never speaks, but he does reply.

He tastes like rain, because of course he would, and his hair is soft in her fingers and he fits against her like a puzzle piece and she loves it, she loves him, but there's a goodbye spoken in the action, she can feel it, and he's so close and she misses him. She misses his excitement and the light in his eyes and him tracing her hands to sketch and his smile with his telling that everything would be alright, and everything's not alright, not when he's leaving, because he made everything alright. He's the everything that's alright.

He presses his forehead to hers this time and she misses him and it breaks her heart, and he says, "I can't believe you are this fearless, epic, daring elven warrior, and you're in love with me."

Compliments rise to her mind, and she responds, "Well, you're the first human to connect to an arcanum, which means you're smart, brave, and strong."

He laughs a little and it sends shivers down her spin and butterflies to her stomach, and he brings his hand up to her chin and murmurs, "Can I kiss you again?"

She nods and replies, "Of course."

There's a void in her heart, one he fills with butterflies and his lips on hers, and she wishes she could explore this. They could explore this. There's so much there, so much history, so much chemistry, and now, they're going to miss it, just like she misses him.

She looks at him and maybe it's the rain, maybe it's her own tears, but for once her throat clears and the words come and she finds herself exclaiming, "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to go!" he yells, and something stops, she's not sure what, and thunder booms and rain pounds, and she looks at him, no words in her throat, no replies in her mind.

"I gave myself up for Ezran because I knew that his life mattered more than mine," Callum murmurs, looking down at his feet. He breathes. "I smashed the primal stone because I knew Zym's life mattered more than my magic."

He looks up at her, gaze electric, and he says, "And being here in Xadia has made me realize I have never made a choice for myself."

He peers up at the sky, and a slight smile reaches his lips, and he says, "There's magic here. I can feel it. And if I can sense that..." he looks at her again, "then I think magic is worth chasing."

And it is, because the hum of electricity in his veins and crackling in his ears and lightning in his fingers means something, it does, and so does Rayla, and Callum chooses to stay. Not for Rayla. Not for magic. For himself.

Callum thinks, if staying in Xadia means being selfish for once in his life, it's worth it because the sky in his heart and magic in his mind is the thing he loves most.


	6. his favorite tradition

Christmas has always been a big celebration in the castle.

Callum can remember huge feasts, stocked with plates of jelly tarts Ezran would raid, exotic fruit platters from the other kingdoms he would eye, and delicious meals prepared by Katolis' finest chefs. King Harrow, Callum, and Ezran would sit around the table, along with advisors like Opeli and the Katolis court, and enjoy the food. Soren, Claudia, and Viren would be there too, the kids probably sat next to the other children, sharing enthusiasm about the holiday.

Desert was always Ezran's favorite part of the meal; it probably still is now. Callum was always full by then. With Ezran's unlimited stomach, he could likely eat half the food and be fine.

When he was really little, younger than six but older than four, his mother would be there too. He remembers watching her and King Harrow "accidentally" walk under mistletoe and cringing at their kiss like little kids do. He remembers her bright smile as the meals were placed in front of her, hearty laugh as his step-dad made jokes or Callum did something cute.

But Sarai had one tradition Callum always loved.

She would do her hair up with something ridiculous. Before they were in the castle, it was little bells or bows; not much wouldn't burn at the border. But when they moved, she could expand a little more. One year it was snowmen and candy cane clips all over her head. One year it was christmas lights woven into braids.

And that was it.

Christmas after her her death had been gloomier, to say the least. On the first one, even Ezran's promise of presents hadn't been enough to get him out of his room. They ended up opening presents and eating in Callum's bedroom, just him, Ezran, and King Harrow.

After that, it had gotten a little easier. They managed to coax Callum out of his room long enough for him to see some of the celebration, but he stayed either in his room or the corner most of the day, growing extra shy for the usually energetic child.

The third christmas was more like how it used to be, just missing one person. And as he got older, he moved on more and became an avid participant in the holiday.

King Harrow ended up taking on Sarai's tradition, weaving lights and clips and decorations into his hair. One year, he had real ordaments dangle from his locks. One had fallen out and smashed against the floor. Callum has never laughed harder than he did when that happened.

The feast was always amazing, somehow topping itself every year. How the chefs do it, he will never know. The food always melts in his mouth, savory and warm and like a fireplace in his stomach. Ezran would stuff himself silly with jelly tarts, Callum would steal all the fruit, and King Harrow would try to eat a modest amount but end up sneaking way too much junk to be healthy.

But that wasn't even the best part of the day.

They would start off with presents, but first, Ezran jumping on Callum's bed at five am in the morning to wake him. Once Callum had shoved Ezran off of him and said profuse apologies for it, the two would climb into the King's bed and jump on it to wake him up. Obviously, as they got older, this trend evolved from hopping on the bed to shaking the person in it awake.

Presents always had both of them excited, no matter the fact that Callum and Ezran were awake at ungodly hours of the morning. There would be stacks of presents from King Harrow, presents from the siblings to each other, little boxes from council members, advisors, and other castle workers. Santa's presents were in the front, even after both Callum and Ezran learned of the truth. They kept the Christmas spirit alive anyways. How they all fit under the tiny tree they kept in the castle, he would never know, and that's not even including things in their stockings.

Callum would let Ezran go first, naturally, and the whole floor of the throne room would be covered in discarded wrapping paper afterwards. They had cardboard boxes for each of their presents, sometimes multiple boxes, and King Harrow would watch with a smile as they tore through every present. The siblings were sure to thank everyone. Ezran would make cards and Callum would draw little doodles inside them, and they would hand them out to the staff.

King Harrow tried to tell them they didn't have to watch him open presents, but they stayed anyways, just as excited for him as they were for themselves. Sarai taught them early on that the greatest gift of Christmas is giving, not getting, and so Ezran and Callum would watch King Harrow open his own gifts, helping him when he was "having trouble" with the wrapping paper. When Bait joined the family, he was given a couple of presents for himself as well, and Ezran would help direct his feet to rip the paper.

Soren and Claudia had their own presents too, but they celebrated by themselves most of the day, and the families would merge for the feast. Sometimes, Soren and Claudia left to visit their mother, so it was just Callum and Ezran. Soren and Claudia were usually awake a little later and opened presents while the others were eating breakfast, though Callum and Ezran snuck in to watch them anyways.

Breakfast would be light, their main meal being saved for lunch. Usually it consisted of whatever chocolate they got and cookies of some sort. King Harrow and Opeli would try to warn them that they would feel sick later, but they didn't care.

They would go out into the city and see the lights and decorations. They put an enormous tree in the town center, and there was a stand where children could decorate an ornament and hang it on the tree. Young Callum made one that was a drawing of his family in a frame, and it was apparently so good, his mother and step-dad had kept it for their own mini tree in the castle. Ezran would fall over in snow, and Callum taught him how to make a snowman.

Sometimes Soren and Claudia joined them, and they would have snowball fights, teaming up against one another. Sometimes it was family vs family, other times Callum and Claudia vs Soren and Ezran. At one point, the three children teamed up against Soren. They usually found a way to drag King Harrow and Viren into it as well. The adults were considered 'too powerful,' so every team had to have one of them.

Dinner was made up of leftovers from lunch, and Ezran, Callum, and King Harrow would huddle together by the fireplace and eat by its warmth. Then it was time for bed, and the whole tradition would start over the next year.

Sometimes Christmas was different, like the two times they spent it at the Banther Lodge, sledding and making snow angels and having family bonding time. But most of the time, they stayed in Katolis, wishing to celebrate with their people.

Now, even though Callum is fifteen and probably beginning to be considered "too old" for Christmas, even though they're missing another person now, even though he's a mage and Ezran is king and they only have Soren out of the two children, he's still bouncing on his toes at the thought of going home for Christmas.

It's even better because Rayla is coming with him.

Elves have a similar holiday called Yule. He doesn't know much about it, but apparently it's a similar concept, lasting for twelve days instead of one. A twelve day Christmas sounds both nice and expensive.

He brushed Rayla up on some Christmas knowledge, more than happy to include her in the holiday festivities. While he's looking forward to going home and seeing Ezran for the first time since his birthday, he's most excited for showing Rayla all their Christmas traditions and bringing her into their celebration.

He's excited to see if Ezran still strung lights up around the castle halls, if they still put up the huge Christmas tree in the town square, if kids could still make ordaments to hang on it. He wonders if the feast will be better than last year's, if they'll still have color-coded wrapping paper for each person (he was always blue, Ezran being red, King Harrow being gold, Soren being orange, Claudia being purple, Viren being silver, and Sarai being yellow.), and if snowflakes show up in Rayla's hair.

It's his first Christmas without King Harrow, and the thought makes his throat tight and his eyes misty. It's been months, but so much has been going on, he's almost forgotten that when he returns home, King Harrow won't be there. Sometimes he dreams of him, Ezran, and his step-dad at the Banther Lodge, snow falling around them, catching snowflakes on their tongues and then curling by a fireplace for warmth. When he woke up after that dream, he started sobbing into his bedsheets. But Rayla held his hand and kissed away his tears.

Speaking of Rayla, she's in front of him, her back pressed against his front. He's clinging her tight, not only because he wants to and they enjoy the closeness, but because they are currently flying on a dragon and if he falls off, well, that wouldn't be good.

He rambles about Katolis' colorful streets and snowy roads and the long tables they break out for the feast, and eventually Rayla turns her head slightly to whisper in his ear that she can't hear him over the rush of wind. He blushes, slightly embarrassed, but she offers a smile and boops her horn against his head, saying something about catching snippets of his sentences.

Their flight is smooth, and they arrive in Katolis Christmas Eve night. They figured it would be better to leave the day before the holiday, and the flight took a little longer than expected, so the sky is dark and Callum's eyelids droop. They thank the dragon, and she flies off into the starry sky. Rayla tugs him along to find Soren, who they each hug and greet warmly, and he leads them through the streets to the castle.

Being back is enough to wake Callum up. While he lives and breathes in Xadia, he will always consider Katolis his home, and walking through the streets with snow crunching under their feet brings him a strange amount of joy. Rayla holding his hand makes his breath warmer, despite the chill of the winter air, and he swings their arms, happily skipping along. Rayla shakes her head at him fondly.

It's too late to bother setting up separate rooms (not that they would stay in them anyways) and so Rayla follows Callum into his room. Everything is as he left it, except there are colorful, mini lights strung across the borders of the ceiling, making the room glow faint greens and reds and blues.

Rayla goes into Ezran's old room to change, and Callum slips into a christmas sweatshirt and plaid pants, and he gets comfortable in his bed, awaiting Rayla.

His heart was not prepared to see her in one of his sweatshirts.

He's actually going to have a heart attack. The sleeves are too long, leaving her with sweater paws. The whole thing is too big on her, but he doesn't think she minds, and he certainly doesn't either. He's suddenly hit by a wave of love and appreciation and he wants to snuggle by a fireplace with marshmallows and hot cocoa and Rayla curled up against his side and press kisses to her cheek and—

"Callum?" Rayla asks, waving one of her pawed hands in front of his face. While it should snap him to attention, it only makes her cuter, which makes his heart function worse. Somehow, she looks so innocent and cuddly, and he's reminded of how her hands are so tiny in comparison to his own. "Are you alright?"

He can feel his face heat up, and he's sure that the red on his face is not from the christmas lights. "I'm okay. Better than okay. I'm great! Are you great? You look great."

Rayl smirks knowingly, flapping the paws of the sweatshirt, and Callum groans in cuteness overload in his head. "I'm only wearing a sweatshirt that's too big for me and pants."

"You still look beautiful to me."

He can see her cheeks and ears go pink, and she uses the overhanging sleeve to whip his shoulder lightly. "Shut up."

He smiles, a bit cocky, glad he can make her as flustered as she makes him. God, if she's only wearing his sweatshirt and making his heart explode, what about when she does anything else?

He doesn't have time to dwell on it because Rayla is sliding under the covers next to him. She plays into the cute image, tucking her head under his chin, horns around his cheeks, and curling her hands between them. Callum somehow grows even warmer. Just when he thinks he's comfortable enough around her not to have heart attacks whenever she does something adorable, she goes and does this.

"Hello? You in there?"

Rayla's voice snaps him out of whatever panicked trance he was in, and he finally has the sense to wrap his arms around her. She melts more into him, and he sighs into her hair, contentment in his heart. "I love you, Rayla."

"I love you more."

"Impossible."

She shakes her head as much as she can with his face between her horns, and with her warmth and the stack of blankets piled on top of them, Callum drifts off to sleep, dreaming of him, Ezran, Rayla, and Soren lying in the snow.

When he wakes up, he and Rayla are tangled together, her breath warm on his face, puffing little breaths of air onto his chin. Her mouth is slightly agape, a small smile on her lips. Her arms worked their way around his back, and it presses them together, tangled up like christmas lights.

He kisses her nose, light and feathery, and her face crinkles. Slowly, she blinks awake, eyelashes fluttering and violet eyes meeting his.

Her voice is tired and husky. "Good morning."

He grins, eyes bright. "Good morning. Merry Christmas, Rayla."

Her arms stretch, pushing him away slightly so she can wake up. "Merry Christmas, Callum."

She ends up slumping against him, and he welcomes her with open arms, holding her gently against him. She kisses his jaw, mumbling something about waking her up "too early, the sun's only just up." To which he replies by kissing her eyebrow.

Rayla yawns, stretching her hands between them, and his eye catches the sweater paws and his heart dances once again. Softly, he reaches for one of her hands and presses it against his cheek, letting her warmth seep into his face. Rayla smiles, sleepy and cute, and he scoots forward to kiss her lips.

She tastes like moonberries, like she always does, and she wraps her arms around his neck to keep his lips locked with hers. She leans backwards, taking Callum with her, and he props up onto his elbows to keep himself steady. He trails his lips to her cheeks, up her face towards her temple, down to the tip of her nose, and Rayla impatiently yanks him by his scarf back down to her lips.

Her arm holds his elbow, her other hand still clenching his scarf. He lets his rest a little above her hip, pressing her closer to him. Their bodies and mouths flushed together, she starts to run her fingers through his hair, undoing the knots sleep tied. Her hand with his scarf starts unwinding it from around his neck, the cool air hitting his now exposed skin.

Eventually, Rayla and Callum have to breathe, and he gazes down at her pink cheeks and glazed eyes and parted mouth, and his voice surprisingly deeper and husky, he asks, "Can I kiss you again?"

She has to take an extra second to get her bearings, her voice soft and barely above a whisper. "Of course."

They dive back in, his hand going to cup her cheek, her own hands roaming down his back and back up again, touching his arms and his neck. Speaking of which, he breaks off their lips to trail down Rayla's jawline, pressing kisses to the bone there. Then, with a quiet whisper for permission and even quieter confirmation, he lets his lips trail around her neck. She smells like pine and stars and moonlight, her skin cold under his mouth.

Her collarbone is soon decorated in invisible kisses, Rayla making little noises of appreciation. But when he moves to kiss her neck again, she flips them over with a surprising amount of force and begins working her way down Callum's neck.

The sudden change makes him make a startled and pleased noise, the feeling of Rayla's lips on his throat making a fireplace in his stomach. It sends tingles down his spine, his heart clenching in his chest, sounds of pleasure escaping his lips. Her hands brush through his hair, her legs between his, her shoulders pressed against his chest, and he thinks his heart is about to burst.

He loves when she has bouts of confidence, loves when she can make his dissolve into a puddle of love. That's her right now, her kisses making him feel better than he's ever felt, any worries he could've had in the back of his mind kissed away.

Rayla pulls back to look at her handiwork, both of them panting from lack of oxygen. Callum must be a mess, his eyes half-lidded, his face red and blushing, his hair mused and his neck covered with her love. She smiles down at him, her own ears turning pink at her handiwork.

"Merry Christmas," Rayla says, leaning down to press her forehead against his, booping their noses together.

"Me... Merry Chris...mas," Callum somehow manages, despite his internal panic at his amazing, wonderful, adorable girlfriend.

Her breath is hot on his face, his heart beating a mile a minute, and she leans down to kiss him again.

So naturally, Ezran and Bait break down Callum's door at that exact moment.

Rayla practically flies off of his, tumbling back against the bed, and Callum grabs the covers to hide underneath. If he can't see Ezran, then Ezran can't see him. He'd like to stay there his entire life, his face heating up more than it did while their make-out session was happening.

"Good morning guys! Merry Christmas!" Ezran exclaims, either acting like nothing happened or genuinely not having seen anything.

He thinks Rayla somehow ended up on the floor, because she sounds pained when she says, "Hi, Ezran."

There's a grumble from the door, and Rayla replies, "And hi, Bait."

Callum peeks his eyes out from under the blanket. Ezran blinks at him, innocence in his eyes, but he can't tell whether it's fake or not. "I was going to come wake you guys up, but I guess you don't need me to." He bounces on his feet. "C'mon! Let's go open presents!"

Ezran runs off, presumably to get to the tree, and Callum sits up in the bed. Rayla is indeed on the floor, standing up and rubbing her arm that she must've hit on the end of his bed. The sweatshirt- his sweatshirt, makes her look adorable, and all his feelings from before come rushing back.

"Put something else on."

"What?" Rayla asks, confused. "I thought you liked me in the sweatshirt."

Callum blushes. "I do. Too much. If you go around wearing that, I'll be too focused on you rather than Christmas."

It's Rayla's turn to turn red, and she faces away from him. "Fine. Go on, I'll catch up."

He finds their family's mini tree in the throne room like it always it, presents scattered around underneath it. There's different colors for everyone, a new addition of blue in the mix. Soren, Ezran, and a lot of other faces he recognizes are already there.

He takes a seat next to Ezran. "Where's Rayla?"

"Changing. She'll be here in a minute."

Ezran raises an eyebrow and tilts his head, confused. "Why's she need to change? What she had on was fine."

Callum chooses not to answer.

Rayla joins them soon enough, decked out in her usual gear with the addition of Callum's scarf, and she takes a seat next to him. Ezran claps his hands excitedly. "Okay, now that everyone is here, can we start?"

Opeli kindly reminds him, "Your majesty, you are the king. You don't need to ask for permission."

"Oh. Right. Let's start!"

Presents go by quickly. There's only stocking for Callum and Ezran, so they save those for last and tackle everyone else's presents first. A lot of his presents have to do with art and books, so he's eager to see what Rayla got for him. He hopes she'll like what he got for her.

Or rather, for them.

Rayla hands him a long, thin box, and the first thing he sees when he opens it is a bag of some sort? There's golden runes stitched into the fabric, shimmering in the early morning light.

"The real gift is inside of that," Rayla explains, her face clearly expressing both her worry and excitement. He's glad she feels comfortable enough to let her feelings show, but she has no reason to worry. Callum will love whatever she gifts him.

He takes the bag thing out of the box, and he can feel something inside, long and thin and... warm. Not even warm, more like hot, like a fireplace wrapped in cloth.

When he pulls out a handle, crafted out of gold and silver, his eyebrows rise.

When he lifts it a bit further and sees an orange glow, the top of a rune drawn on the object, he nearly drops it.

He looks at Rayla, completely dumbfounded, and she starts to laugh, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh my goodness... Rayla... you actually... you got me a sunforge blade?"

She nods, and his incredulous expression must become more prominent, and even Ezran begins to giggle. Soren stares at the sword intently. "How did you..."

"I talked to Jan— Queen Janai. You have no idea how hard hiding this was."

"How much did you spend on this?"

Rayla shrugs, and Callum reaches to put his hand over hers. "Rayla, you don't need to waste your money on—"

"Hey, it's not a waste! It's a Christmas gift for you, and you better appreciate it."

"Appreciate it?" Callum chuckles, happiness radiating off of his smile. He's been working so hard to improve his swordsmanship after the battle, and her gift is beyond thoughtful. "Rayla, I love it! This is so cool!"

She grins back, tension leaving her shoulders. "Good. You've been getting better at sword fighting, so I figured you might want something you can actually call your own. Don't do anything stupid with it. And no, Soren, you can't 'borrow' it."

Everyone laughs at that, and then it's Callum's turn to give Rayla his present.

Getting her gifts was a hassle, not only because he had to talk to people, but because of the people he had to talk to. Plus he had done extensive research on its meaning to Moonshadows and symbols and their meanings. It took some time and fake confidence, but he managed, and the wrapping paper gets ripped off the small box.

When she sees what's inside, he swears he sees tears brew in her eyes. She covers her mouth in shock before reaching in and pulling out a pendant. It's carved with a moon and wing inside of it, swirls pattering around the rest. It's colored a gradient from a darker silver at the bottom and lighter towards the top, like light shining on the symbols.

She looks at Callum, her eyes shimmering, and she her voice is so soft when she says, "Callum..."

"Look, there's one for me in there too." He pulls out another pendant, with the same design but mirrored. "They match."

"How did you..."

He smiles, having been waiting for her to ask that. "I talked to Ethari. We planned it out and designed it, and he helped with symbolism and actually making it. I got to paint them."

Working out all of the symbolism was difficult, but he's glad they did. There's a moon for Rayla and wing for Callum, swirls to represent how they're tied together. The circle shape represents how their love is neverending, the color shining a light on them, even in dark times. Even the mirroring to represent their opposite sides, human and elf, and idea Callum proposed and Ethari happily agreed to.

Rayla tackles him in a hug, and they fall backwards onto the cold floor, but Callum doesn't mind. "Thank you. They're beautiful."

"Not more beautiful than you," he murmurs into her hair, tucking her head under his chin.

"Ahem."

Rayla eases away from him, and Ezran shoots them a raised brow. "This is sweet and all, but there's more presents to open!"

"Of course," Callum says, happy smile on his face.

Even though Soren gets him a book on magic, and Ezran surprises him with his sketchbook but with a fixed cover, and Rayla helps strap the sheath (what he thought was a bag) to his belt, the best gift of all will be seeing everyone's smiles.

Once all the presents are opened and the room is cleared of wrapping paper, everyone begins to clear out. They're going into town later, so most go to get ready. The chefs retreat to the kitchen to prepare for the feast, council members go to eat breakfast, and Callum and Rayla head back to get ready.

Aunt Amaya and Queen Janai should be arriving some time in the afternoon, hopefully in time to join them for lunch. Callum bounces with anticipation of showing Rayla all his favorite places in town, like the tree with kids' ordaments and the bakery with special christmas cookies and the ice rink towards the center of town. He traded his usual garb for a christmas sweater, and he leaves his scarf to Rayla, opting to freeze instead. He'll sacrifice in order for her to look adorable. Plus, the heat from the sunforge blade by his hip is probably enough to keep him warm.

There's something that's missing, but he's not sure what it is.

The pendant rests against his chest, and he holds it in his hand, cool metal against his skin. Ethari did an amazing job with them, and when he sees it around Rayla's neck, he smiles wider than before.

She has simple blue sweater on, her hair falling around her shoulders like snow. She walks up to him, and he brushes a lock of it behind her ear.

And an idea hits him.

He's seen Rayla do intricate braids in her hair before. Apparently they symbolize something to Moonshadow elves, different braids meaning different things. She's done her hair up in a multitude of styles, each one stunning him into silence.

And it gives him an idea now, and he dashes for a hairbrush.

"What are you..."

From his bed, him standing on the mattress, he says, "help me take the lights down."

"O...kay..."

She helps him, and soon the lights are wrapped into a ball in his hands. He gives her the hairbrush, and she blinks at him. "You have the dumb idea face. Callum, what are you doing?"

He takes a breath in.

"My mother used to have this tradition where every Christmas, she would put something christmas-y in her hair. Usually it was some type of bow or hair clip, but one year, she wove lights into her hair. My step-father continued the tradition after... but now, he's..."

Rayla looks at him, sympathetic, and he asks, "I know my hair might not be long enough, but could you try to..."

"Of course," she nods, and she walks behind him, beginning to brush his hair.

They fall into silence, save for the sound of Callum's hair being brushed and weaves between lights. She wraps them around his head like a crown, braiding pieces over the wire. Somehow, because she's got magic Moonshadow hair powers, she manages to work in all the lights, and when he looks in the mirror, not a hair is out of place.

He turns around and presses a kiss to her mouth. "Thank you. This is perfect."

"You're welcome." She holds out a hand, and he laces his fingers through hers, a familiar sense of love and excitement flooding through his chest. "Shall we go?"

He grins. "We shall."

They walk off to go join Ezran and Soren, Callum bouncing on his toes, Rayla watching him with a soft smile. They actually end up running into mistletoe, and with a burst of confidence, he pulls Rayla flush against him, smirks, and kisses her on her lips. Then he walks away, leaving her flabbergasted, but she manages to gather her wits and pull him back to kiss him softly, making them both giggle.

"I love you, Callum."

"I love you more."

She shakes her head, a smile on her lips that he leans forward and kisses. "Impossible."

They may be down a few people, but they live on in their hearts, and he carries their traditions with him. And with Rayla by his side and lights in his hair and a pendant around his neck and sunforge blade by his side, he can safely say this is one of the best Christmases yet.

(Ezran loves the lights and praises Rayla for managing to get them all into his hair. Soren looks at him confused, and they all laugh at his expression. Eventually, he just accepts it.)


	7. ice ice baby

**i've been updating all my accounts so that eveything is consistent, so take another fic**

* * *

It's not the first time Callum has gone ice skating.

He's not unfamiliar with signing in at the desk, digging through his wallet as fast as he can so he doesn't hold up the line, and walking through the automatic door to the rink. There's a blast of cool air as soon as he enters, and he shoves his hands into his pockets and pulls his jacket closer to him.

When he approaches the counter to get skates, he has to repeat his skate size multiple times before the worker hears him. As they walk away to find his size, Callum tries to calm his racing heart, rubbing his hands together. He hasn't had a chance to put gloves on yet; it's hard to lace up the skates with them on, so he leaves them in his pockets.

His rentals are handed to him, and he mumbles a quick thank you the worker probably didn't hear and scrambles off.

There's a surprising amount of benches available, but it is a Tuesday, so he's shocked he's surprised. He sits towards the edge of one, setting his skates next to him and untying his shoes. Once he gets them off, he slides them under the bench and slips his feet into the skates.

He can feel them press into his ankles, a choked grip around where his foot meets his leg. Rental skates try to give the same support as actual skates, but they fail every time. His friend let him try her skates before, and they were a lot better in terms of quality.

Speaking of his friend...

She's on the rink already, and he takes a quick glance up to see her.

She's been doing lessons for years now; he's not exactly sure how many, and he thinks she doesn't know either. He can tell she's been training for a while. She glides with ease, muscle memory and practice making her movements graceful, like an ice version of a ballerina. She's not doing anything extravagant now, nothing even close to what he's seen her do, but she makes something as simple as circling the rink look easy.

It's a few seconds before he realizes he's staring, and even though there's no reason to be embarrassed, he still looks away, feeling bashful and shy.

He yanks the laces as tight as he can, the fabric stiff, and he crosses them over until he reaches the top. Looping them off with bunny ears, he stands on the blades.

His friend had dragged him to the rink a few times, so he's no stranger to skates, but he's still nowhere near as good as the others who show up. He's seen little kids no older than Ezran whip circles around him. How they do it, he has no idea. He's come to the rink before and still can't balance.

Though maybe that's just his balance being shit.

He stumbles over to the wall and holds on, attempting to find his nonexistent stability. There's a panel of glass between him and the rink, and he does his best to avoid instinctively putting his hand on it when he nearly topples over.

Through the glass, he makes eye contact with his friend and sees her smirk. Oh no.

White hair flowing out behind her, she runs on the ice over to him, skidding to a stop and putting her hands on the glass, acting like she crashed against it. But she bounces back quickly, wide smile and eyes crinkled, and she mouths something he misses.

He'll blame it on her clothes. The black is a stark contrast to the white of the rink and her hair, and she looks good in the darker color, too. It's not his fault he wasn't paying attention.

Callum stumbles across the floor, trying to lift his knees high and "march" like he was instructed to by her. She's tried to teach him the proper way to skate, but he can never apply it. In the end, he gives up and starts walking normally, which works a lot better. Avoiding eye contact with the moms standing by the glass, he makes his way to the gate, where his friend is already waiting for him.

She's leaning against the opening, arms folded and one leg crossed over the other. "Look who decided to show up."

Callum finds himself smiling, despite the struggle and slight frustration that comes with it. "You say that like you don't want me here."

She shrugs, eyes closed. "Maybe I don't."

"Then why would you invite me?"

She opens her eyes, violet color somehow matching the aesthetic of the rink. "Maybe I did." She smirks, tilting her head and pushing off from the wall. "Come on, dummy."

"Not all of us are ice skating pros, Rayla," Callum points out, grasping the wall as he tentatively places a foot on the ice. His leg doesn't immediately slide out from under him, so he takes that as a plus.

She twirls in place, sliding over in front of him. She lifts her arms out. "What did I teach you about balancing?"

"Arms out," he says, stepping fully onto the ice. "Can I get onto the ice first?"

"You are on the ice. Now, arms out."

He complies, awkwardly at best, not quite putting his arms up as much as he should. "This looks stupid."

Rayla doesn't reply, and Callum narrows his eyebrows. "You want me to look stupid."

Shrugging, Rayla turns away. "Please, you'd look stupid anyways. And it actually does help with balance."

"Then why don't you do it?"

"Can't be bothered."

Rayla skates off as he tries to get used to the ice. It usually takes a few minutes, but after a while, he gets to the point where he can skate on his own and even slowly spin in place.

While he warms up, he watches Rayla. She flips directions and starts skating backwards, arms out and legs crossing over each other. If Callum, or anyone else for that matter, tried to do the same position, they wouldn't look half as elegant as her. She skates like she's been doing it all her life, like it's second nature, as natural as breathing.

She lifts up one of her legs, holding it behind her as she turns slightly to the side. She digs the toepick into the ice, and in a movement too fast and too smooth for him to comprehend, she launches herself into the air and into a spin. A double, he thinks. He's not entirely sure what type of jump she did, but he guesses a toe-loop, since she used her toe to push off. She's taught him a little about certain moves, and sometimes he can recognize them.

She lands with her leg somewhat lifted, arms big and steady. Transferring her weight onto her other foot, she uses her momentum to whip into a spin, choosing to show off a little and arch backwards, changing her spin into what Callum presumes is a layback. Eventually, she comes out of it, twirling away for a couple seconds before catching his eye and winking.

Suddenly, he almost falls over.

He sees Rayla's eyes widen out of the corner of his eye, but then her face breaks out into a grin, and she bends over and tries not to laugh. While the sudden loss in what little grace he had annoys Callum, he can't help but laugh it off.

Rayla skates over, a little shakier due to her giggling. "What, was the power of my skating too much for you?"

"No," Callum says, clutching onto the wall for dear life. Rayla slides up beside him, holding out her hand. How she manages to not freeze with a lack of gloves, he will never know.

"C'mon. I'll hold onto you."

Callum stares at her hand for a few seconds. "If I fall, I'm dragging you down with me."

Rayla shrugs. "I'll blame you then."

He doesn't want to bring her down, even if he knows she's only offering to be nice. He'd feel bad for making her fall after her perfect run. He's seen her fall a couple times, but he'd feel awful if she got hurt because of him.

"I'm okay," Callum replies, deciding to be a little brave and shift away from the wall. Rayla raises an eyebrow.

"Too bad. Take my hand already."

Well, if she's offering...

* * *

Callum's hand is rough in hers, his glove rubbing against her skin. She has no need for gloves anymore, growing used to the cold after hours of practice at the rink.

She can see Callum stumble; usually he's a bit better than he is today. That or he gives up after a few minutes. Sometimes, he'll quietly ask to take a video of her, and she'll see him sitting on one of the benches, pencil to his sketchbook. In truth, she's honored he takes the time to draw her, and his sketches always turn out amazing.

However, today is a skating day, she supposes.

She begins dragging him away from the wall, taking his other hand in hers when he automatically reaches out. She can see him wobble, his lack of the same core strength she has failing him. She's tempted to tell him to tighten his core, but she doubts he knows what that means, much less how to execute it.

"You good?"

"Yeah," Callum responds, gaining enough confidence to let go of one of her hands and turn to the side. Her motto for skating has always been 'confidence, not cockiness,' courtesy of her dad, Runaan. There's a difference between believing in yourself and believing you can do more than you can. She hopes Callum can draw the line, otherwise, they'll both fall.

She starts skating forwards. It's difficult to stay at a slow speed; she's much more used to going faster. Callum trails behind her, still grasping her hand, letting her drag him along. "You're doing good so far!"

Callum glances up from the ground for a second, offering her a smile. "You got me away from the wall, so that's a plus."

"Yeah, and in record time too." She looks up at the clock. "Only two minutes in and look at you!"

"I know, I'm such a pro now." Callum cocks his head, giving her a wink this time.

And then he falls over.

Out the corner of her eye, she sees his skate catch on the other one, and he begins to collapse. She tries to save him, but it's too late; and she feels him pull down on her hand. They both wind up on the ice, skidding to a stop, her sat up and Callum sprawled out.

Rayla is the first to start laughing, feeling the giggle in the back of her throat bubble out. She covers her mouth with one hand, now covered in water and small pieces of ice. "Go- pfft— good job, Callum. So— ha— so pro."

He groans, sitting up fully. He slaps her shoulder lightly. "Shut up."

She might be laughing too loud to be socially acceptable, but honestly, she doesn't care.

And it must be contagious, because she sees Callum try to hold back a smile and fail miserably. He laughs a bit quieter than her, but just as passionately, and for a moment, the rest of the rink melts away. It's just her and Callum, his gloved hands and her ice covered ones, her professional skates and his rentals, her laughter and his.

It's nice, she thinks. It's like the rink is theirs.

She pushes herself to her feet, and Callum remains sat on the ice. Feeling nice for once, she offers her hand to him again, and he takes it. But with a smirk, he pulls her back down again and close to him into a makeshift hug.

She knows enough about falling to not get hurt, and Callum acts as a buffer anyways, but a spike of frustration shoots through her. "Callum, you little sh—"

"Pfft—haha-" Callum laughs, his face red and his eyes crinkled. "You... pfft- actually fell—"

"Yeah I did, thanks for noticing!" she yells, but in all honesty, she's not mad. Part of her finds it funny, the other part is too prideful to show it.

When she stands up this time, she doesn't dare give him her hand. Callum pouts. "What, not gonna help me up?"

"After you dragged me down? Not a chance. I haven't fallen in ages, and now I've fallen twice."

"Fallen for me twice?" Callum asks, wiggling his eyebrows. Rayla whacks his arm with the side of her skate.

After that, Callum must get a sudden stroke of inspiration, because five minutes later, she sees him on a bench, sketching away. Rayla continues to dance on the ice, and sometimes she'll catch his eye, either glaring or smirking. Callum always smiles back.

She came here to practice, but Callum keeps distracting her with his occasional glances and the question of what's in his sketchbook.

(Later, she finds out the drawing was of them laughing when she fell into his arms, bright smiles on both of their faces.)


End file.
